The Cross of Christ is the Source of all Blessing, the Cause of all Graces.

On Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent our Church invites us to first read and reflect on a passage from the letter to the Hebrews (3:1-19) entitled "Jesus, the apostle of our faith". Our treasure, which follows, is from a sermon by Saint Leo the Great, pope. Saint Leo became pope in the year 440. Saint Leo was a Roman aristocrat, and was the first pope to have been called "the Great". Saint Leo is known as one of the best administrative popes of the ancient Church. His work branched into many areas of the church, indicative of his notion of the pope's total responsibility for the flock of Christ. In the 96 sermons which have come down to us, we find Leo stressing the virtues of almsgiving, fasting, and prayer, and expounding Catholic doctrine with clarity and conciseness, particularly the dogma of the Incarnation. Leo is perhaps best known for having met Attila the Hun in 452 and having persuaded him to turn back from his invasion of Italy. Saint Leo the Great's primary contribution to the teachings of the Catholic Church was his clear articulation of the two natures of Christ—fully divine and fully human—united in one person. In his famous Tome of Leo, he explained that Jesus Christ possesses both natures without confusion or division, a teaching that was affirmed by the bishops at the Council of Chalcedon and became a cornerstone of Catholic Christology. Leo also strengthened the understanding of the authority of the Bishop of Rome as successor of Saint Peter the Apostle, helping shape the doctrine of the papacy while safeguarding the Church's teaching about who Christ truly is. As early as the second century, this treatise, which is of great rhetorical power and force in its admonition to faithful pilgrimage under Christ's leadership, bore the title "To the Hebrews." It was assumed to be directed to Jewish Christians. Usually, Hebrews was attached in Greek manuscripts to the collection of letters by Paul. Although no author is mentioned (for there is no address), a reference to Timothy suggested connections to the circle of Paul and his assistants. Yet the exact audience, the author, and even whether Hebrews is a letter have long been disputed. The central message of the Epistle to the Hebrews is that Jesus Christ is the perfect and eternal High Priest who fulfills and surpasses the old covenant, offering Himself once for all for the salvation of humanity. The letter teaches that through Christ, believers have direct access to God, and it calls them to persevere in faith, especially in times of trial, trusting in His definitive sacrifice. By showing how Christ completes the meaning of the Law, priesthood, and sacrifices of the Old Testament, Hebrews urges Christians to remain steadfast, confident, and faithful to Him.